Taking a resort vacation does not mean your eco-friendly habits have to vacation as well. Reducing your carbon footprint can easily be achieved by making a few behavioral changes during your travels. Here are six ways to help you green your next resort vacation.

Make Smart Travel Plans

Planes, trains, automobiles, on foot, or by sea—there are plenty of ways to travel around these days. The least eco-friendly option is by plane, but if you have to fly, search for airlines that are taking steps to reduce their environmental impact. Southwest Airlines, for example, is taking measures to eliminate excess waste in their company and on flights.

Train travel has a surprising low carbon footprint. So if you have extra time to arrive at your destination, it might be worth booking a ticket—not to mention that traveling by train gives you the chance to really enjoy the scenery around you.

If you and your family plan to travel by road, consider renting a hybrid vehicle for the trip. This helps you reduce your gasoline usage, which, depending on the length of the trip, might actually make up for the cost of the rental itself.

Use Public Transportation

Once you arrive at your destination, stay at a resort with easy access to public transportation. All of our BGV resorts are on free shuttle routes and the Town of Breckenridge offers a free trolley and bus service for guests and visitors.

Another service to explore is bicycle rental programs. Many cities—Denver for one—offer them. Renting a bike is a great way to go sightseeing as well as explore some locations you might miss by walking around or taking a car.

Buy Local

Live local, buy local, be local. Check out farmers’ markets to purchase supplies for a picnic lunch, and choose souvenirs from local artisans and vendors. Not only are you supporting the area’s economy, but you’re reducing your carbon footprint because the goods you purchase aren’t being packaged and shipped from the corners of the earth.

Green Chef, a Denver-based company, makes it easy to eat locally grown Colorado foods and delivers them to your door. Green Chef can also deliver their organic food boxes to any of our BGV resorts.

Choose Resorts with Green Programs

Before you book, call the resort’s front desk and ask if they have a green program. Many resorts provide tips and resources to guests on how to reduce their environmental impact while staying with them.

Did you know you can make your BGV vacation GRAND and GREEN! Be sure to participate in BGV’s Sustainable Stays program, which is available at all our resorts. Want to be green but not fully commit to the program? Simply hang the “I Want to Conserve” sign outside your residence door, letting staff know you’ll be reusing your towels, which conserves both water and energy.

Bring Your Reusables

Bring or buy reusable shopping bags. Or the next time you’re at one of our resorts, participate in our Sustainable Stays program. You’ll receive a complimentary reusable bag with your participation. Reusable bags are another small way to cut down on the unnecessary plastic waste that pollutes our lands and waters.

Reusable water bottles are another great way to cut back on plastics. Most plastic bottles end up in landfills and take decades to break down. Bringing your own water bottle ensures that you’re helping to eliminate plastic waste. All of our BGV resorts have refillable water bottle stations, and we encourage you to be another number. Each time you fill your bottle, you’ll see how many plastic bottles have been diverted from our waste stream.

So while you may be on vacation, the planet is not. Let’s help keep it grand and green for us and for the future.